Nonstopdrivel
13 years ago

California Legislature to forfeit pay, Chiang says
 
The state controller's decision drives angry fellow Democrats back into budget talks with the governor.

By Shane Goldmacher, Los Angeles Times
June 22, 2011

Reporting from Sacramento -- State Controller John Chiang has decided to deny California lawmakers their pay for failing to produce a truly balanced spending plan, infuriating legislative leaders but pumping new life into budget negotiations just 10 days before the start of the new fiscal year.

Indignant Democratic lawmakers, having passed a budget on the June 15 deadline without input from Republicans or Gov. Jerry Brown, said the controller, who issues state paychecks, was engaged in an illegal power grab. Chiang said in his announcement Tuesday that aspects of the Democrats' budget — which Brown had swiftly vetoed — were incomplete and the plan therefore violated a new law that punishes the Legislature for late spending plans.

The impact on legislators' wallets could be severe. Until they approve a budget that Chiang deems balanced, rank-and-file lawmakers, who are paid at the end of each month, will be docked about $400 a day. That sum is the daily portion of their $95,291 salary plus a $142 per diem allowance.

Chiang said the forfeiture is required because the budget that Democrats approved spent more — $1.85 billion more, in his analysis — than it collected in taxes and fees.

"The numbers simply did not add up," said Chiang, who is also a Democrat.

Voters passed a law last fall requiring that legislators' pay be seized for every day that a budget is late. That law, which also enabled lawmakers to pass spending plans with a simple majority vote, does not specify that it be balanced, but Chiang noted that other laws do.

The controller, who called pieces of the Democratic package "miscalculated, miscounted or unfinished," drew plaudits from the public. Commentators peppered his Facebook page with words of encouragement.

"JOHN CHIANG FOR GOVERNOR!" wrote one. "Finally someone who does the right thing!"

But Democratic lawmakers, now slapped twice within a week by powerful officials from their own party, angrily questioned Chiang's authority and motives.

"John Chiang just wants to sit there and beat up on the unpopular kids," Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Silver Lake), who at 36 is among the youngest legislators, said in a statement. "I now have to explain to my wife and daughter that we won't be able to pay the bills because a politician chose to grandstand at our expense."

Assembly Majority Leader Charles Calderon (D-Whittier) said Chiang had created a distraction by "playing to the headlines."

"He's now focused all the attention on himself so he'll have the next political move to become governor," Calderon said

Calderon added, "Now it will require a lawsuit to educate him" on having overstepped his constitutional powers. A legislator-backed lawsuit challenging Chiang's ruling is widely expected.

Republicans, who had objected to the Democrats' budget plan because it relied on accounting moves to paper over the state's shortfall, offered a mixed response to Chiang's decision.

"It hurts," said Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), "but I applaud the controller for upholding the will of the voters."

The pay decision appears to have added new urgency to budget talks. Chiang's announcement immediately thawed days of icy silence between the governor and top Democrats. Brown spent most of the afternoon in closed-door meetings with Democrats in the Assembly and Senate.

"I think the decision has been made, and now we have to get the budget done," Brown said as he left a meeting with state senators. Unlike lawmakers, the governor will continue to collect his salary throughout the deadlock.

For months, Brown has unsuccessfully sought GOP support for a fall election on taxes and an extension of some expiring levies to help balance the budget in the meantime. Now, even some Democrats and their labor union allies have become increasingly uneasy about a fall election, fearing that in a small turnout typical of special elections, voters would reject the taxes. They prefer to put off a referendum until a more favorable time, perhaps the fall of 2012, when President Obama will be on the ballot.

Brown told senators that he would present an alternative budget proposal to their leaders as early as Wednesday, according to Senate Budget Committee Chairman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), who attended the meeting.

Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles), who issued a statement calling Chiang's decision "wrong," said it would empower Republicans who have pushed for deeper cuts, instead of taxes, to close California's estimated $10-billion deficit.

"I believe that's a very unfortunate outcome," he said.

Others raised broader constitutional questions.

Senate President Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said Chiang's move set a "terrible precedent" and would throw out of whack the balance of power between the branches of government. Governors and finance officials should not have the power to control the pay of 120 independently elected lawmakers simply because they don't like what those lawmakers produce, he said.

Chiang insisted he wasn't seizing undue authority but rather undertaking the humble task of checking the Legislature's math.

"This is simply an addition and subtraction equation," and the Democrats' budget didn't pencil out, he said in a radio interview Tuesday.

shane.goldmacher@latimes.com

Times staff writers Michael J. Mishak and Anthony York contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times



That the legislators could have the gall to play the victim after turning in a budget with a $10 billion deficit, I find almost beyond belief. They are clearly negligent in their duties and should have to face some sort of consequences.
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Wade
  • Wade
  • Veteran Member
13 years ago
More evidence for the proposition that elected officials should be paid no more than the median salary IMO.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Formo
13 years ago

More evidence for the proposition that elected officials should be paid no more than the median salary IMO.

Originally Posted by: Wade 



A-fuckin'-men!!
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Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!
DakotaT
13 years ago
You fvckrs better not say anything about gov't employees or NastyT comes out to play. We sacrifice every year as books get balance on our backs. Plus I'll take away your Christmas gifts next year.
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Pack93z
13 years ago
It isn't the government workers that are digging in our pockets.. it is those in the political arena with the never ending ink pen that are.



Personally.. I hope the whole economic structure comes tumbling down and we the people wake the hell up and rebuild this country in a similar fashion that it once was.. proud, united and strong. Not this Mickey Mouse state it has become where greed trumps all...
"The oranges are dry; the apples are mealy; and the papayas... I don't know what's going on with the papayas!"
Porforis
13 years ago
JOHN CHIANG FOR GOVERNOR

John Chiang for Governor? More like John Chiang for president... Obviously it's only one of many problems, but as long as being a politician is a career rather than an act of civil service, we're going to keep getting screwed. Nothing infuriates me more than politicians pulling the "my family's going to starve" line. If you did your job in the first place, you wouldn't be in this position. And now, like in the private sector, you're going to get punished if you don't do your job.

Also, not serious about him for president... Maybe after he's spent 8 years being a governor 😉
Porforis
13 years ago

You fvckrs better not say anything about gov't employees or NastyT comes out to play. We sacrifice every year as books get balance on our backs. Plus I'll take away your Christmas gifts next year.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 



I think you missed my gift from last year. I could really use a new set of screwdrivers, good ones that aren't going to strip in 1 year.
Wade
  • Wade
  • Veteran Member
13 years ago

You fvckrs better not say anything about gov't employees or NastyT comes out to play. We sacrifice every year as books get balance on our backs. Plus I'll take away your Christmas gifts next year.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 



Er, what gifts does the government give at Christmas time?

IIRC, didn't you say the bigger chunk of your income (and certainly the bigger chunk of your productive value as a person) comes from your work as a private businessman (honey)? If all you had to pay for your personal Christmas gifts was your productivity as a govt employee, could you give many gifts anyway? :)

(btw, my sister still wants honey, so she isn't a party to this little debate, 'k? :)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
Wade
  • Wade
  • Veteran Member
13 years ago

JOHN CHIANG FOR GOVERNOR

John Chiang for Governor? More like John Chiang for president... Obviously it's only one of many problems, but as long as being a politician is a career rather than an act of civil service, we're going to keep getting screwed. Nothing infuriates me more than politicians pulling the "my family's going to starve" line. If you did your job in the first place, you wouldn't be in this position. And now, like in the private sector, you're going to get punished if you don't do your job.

Also, not serious about him for president... Maybe after he's spent 8 years being a governor ;)

Originally Posted by: Porforis 



Sorry, if he spends eight years as a governor, he will be presumptively be disqualified as Presidential material. The number of elected officials who can avoid descending into turpitude and infamy after eight years is smaller than the Vikings' collection of NFL championship trophies.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
vikesrule
13 years ago

You fvckrs better not say anything about gov't employees or NastyT comes out to play. We sacrifice every year as books get balance on our backs. Plus I'll take away your Christmas gifts next year.

Originally Posted by: DakotaT 



Interesting comment there DT or NT or greenT or whatever your nom de guerre du jour is.
Considering your past rails against big government, that is most amusing indeed.

Anyone ever wonder what North Dakota’s biggest Industry Is?

Most would probably have guessed agriculture or perhaps energy (coal, oil, etc.).
But noooo... it turns out that North Dakota’s biggest industry is…government.
Yep,they represent 21% of North Dakota’s labor force. Basically, one in five North Dakotans works for the government.
Plus, they include that as part of the North Dakota's GDP.....un-freakin' believable.

What the hell does a place like North Freakin' Dakota need with so many government employees?
Classic North Dakotans mooching off the tax payers...
...and yet these so called hard working "public servants" want much more from the trough.

North Dakota Legislature Still Being Pressured to Increase Pay to State Workers Who Make More Than If They Were In the Private Sector 


Whoa...no Christmas presents from North Dakota.....I'm crushed.

Have a nice day Troy.....[roflmao]
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